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Friday, December 19, 2014

December Expiration Watch: A Great Sucking Sound

There's no getting around it: things this month look grim. I can barely keep up with all the new titles being dumped daily to the 12/31 pileup. Of course, you could argue it's the end of the year and things looked bad last year, too. But you'd be only partly right. Over 60 expiring titles made the list then—a big number, for sure, but one that was mostly offset by a strong January and the eventual return of 15 of those titles.

But this year is undeniably worse. Over 120 titles are on the list this time—including nearly double the number of pre-1970 classics—plus 14 Woody Allen films (essentially wiping out the director's streaming catalog). Sure, Netflix could add an equivalent number of worthy films in the new year, but based on past experience, the paltry mix announced so far, and the company's increasing emphasis on original TV series over classic movies, I'm not getting my hopes up.

Some other interesting numbers: of the 120+ titles about to expire, 25 arrived in October (i.e., had three-month contracts), half of which were Allen films. Another 17 showed up in January, suggesting one-year contracts that are now ending. These were predominantly 1970s and Roger Corman flicks, so with any luck they'll be renewed in the coming year.

Other departing Corman titles (such as Galaxy of Terror and Not of This Earth) have been around for even longer, as have classics like Duck Soup and Witness for the Prosecution. Does this mean they've done their time and are now leaving for good, or is it possible they've cemented their long-term status and will be dutifully renewed next year? Alas, there's really no telling what to expect until we see how the first few months of 2015 shape up.

Since there are so many titles scheduled to leave—a ridiculous amount, frankly!—I'll dispense with mini-writeups this time out and simply list those most worthy of your time, broken down by category. Note that any movie with an asterisk (*) beside it has disappeared and reappeared at least once since this blog started (April 2013), so there's a good chance it will be back at some point in 2015. Adjust your viewing priorities accordingly.

Meanwhile, thanks to everyone who contributed to these lists this year—it's been mightily appreciated—and to all of you who kept up with this blog and helped spread the word. It's great having such a devoted group of readers. Have a great (movie-filled) holiday and a happy new year!

4 comments:

Thank you, David. I'm feeling increasingly let down by Netflix these days, but it's nice to have a messenger I don't want to shoot. Advance notice, comprehensive lists, excellent organization of titles - your effort and skill make it so much easier to manage the disappointment. Thanks also to the tireless efforts of those readers who routinely share all the lesser known titles that are expiring. So helpful to have these rays of light in the darkness. : )